Bigfork Boy Scout troop wins $1,000 grant

Bigfork Boy Scout Troop 1923 was awarded the Cabela’s Outdoor Fund Grant Feb. 23.

The $1,000 grant was used to purchase assorted camping gear through the Cabela’s Kalispell Outpost. Gear included four person tents, camping stove, propane lantern and other assorted gear. 

In 2008, Troop 1923 was re-established after being dormant for a decade. The new troop was comprised of five Boy Scouts. Today, the troop has 14 scouts. Three of their scouts have attained the rank of Eagle in the past year.

Scoutmaster Brian Sugden said, “We greatly appreciate Cabela’s generosity and involvement in our community. This grant assists us in making the program available to boys who want to participate in scouting without creating a financial hardship for their families.”

 Troop 1923 is very community oriented, Sugden said. The community service they provide is paramount. Projects have included litter cleanup on an adopted highway segment and trail maintenance at Crane Mountain and Harry Horn Recreational Park. Troop 1923 repaired picnic tables and cleaned recreational sites during Glacier National Park’s 100-year anniversary. 

The Cabela’s Outdoor Fund award will be well utilized, Sugden said. 

Some of the activities have included a 60-mile back packing trip across the Bob Marshall Wilderness, participation in the Boy Scouts of America’s annual “Klondike Derby” winter camping experience, camping at Grizzly Base Camp and Melita Island, snow shoeing, and rafting in the Flathead and North Fork rivers.

For information on Troop 1923, visit their www.facebook.com/troop1923.